Meet our dedicated team passionately working to advance learner-centered education.

Sujata Bhatt is the founder and CEO of Incubate Learning which focuses on strategy and design to create more human-centered, joyful formal learning experiences. With over 20 years in education, she works across PK–12, higher education, and edtech to transform how learning happens. Sujata previously served as Managing Partner of Innovation for Boston Public Schools and founded The Incubator School, an entrepreneurship-themed LAUSD middle-high school.

Kara Bobroff (Navajo/Lakota) leads The One Gen Fund where she focuses on identifying promising, early-stage innovations that build sustainable solutions for Indigenous communities, deepening national efforts in Indigenous education, and supporting Indigenous leaders poised to impact systems change. She has more than 25 years of experience in Indigenous education and was recognized by President Obama as one of 100 top social innovators in the nation. Kara is a citizen of the Navajo Nation.

Olivia is an advocate for change, using her passion to make a difference as she begins her career at the Greater Twin Cities United Way. Olivia has experience implementing the learner-centered approach at the college level and holds a degree from Morningside University. She also experienced a formative learner-centered education as a learner at Iowa BIG, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Olivia’s drive to create positive change continues and is reinforced with the birth of her son.

Nora is the Thriving Youth Initiative Lead at Zephyr Impact. Nora joined Zephyr after serving as the Education Lead at Wend Collective for eight years. Nora served for nine years at the Colorado League of Charter Schools, as VP of School Services and as President. She has over 40 years of experience as a teacher and principal in international, public, and private schools, and non-profit leadership. Nora’s passion is ensuring equity, access, and opportunity for all families and children.

Aditi has over 20 years of multi-sector experience solving critical problems around equity and opportunity in education. Currently, she provides strategic advisory services through P16 Partners to the philanthropic, nonprofit, and education sectors. Prior, she designed and launched CodeNext while at Google, and led the education portfolio at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. She began her career as an educator for Teach for America.

Jim Koshland served as a partner at DLA Piper US LLP law firm from 1983-2020, focusing on corporate law matters. He currently sits on the Boards of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, American Jewish World Service, Jewish Senior Living Group, Jewish Vocational Services of San Francisco, the Koshland Foundation, Opportunity Fund, Reboot, San Francisco Jewish Community Federation and the Taube-Koret Campus for Jewish Life and is a Trustee of the UC Berkeley Foundation.

Jemar Lee, a Morningside University alumnus, works at Xcel Energy as a Customer and Innovation Analyst. After experiencing learner-centered education firsthand, Jemar became a respected advocate, serving as a Fellow with Education Reimagined and speaking at conferences like SXSW EDU and the Aurora Institute Symposium. Jemar now continues his advocacy on the leadership team of the Minnesota Learner-Centered Network and as the Strategy Chair on Exploration High School’s board.

Peter McWalters is currently a board member for Big Picture Learning, a trustee of the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment (NCIEA), and a consultant to Education Reimagined. Peter’s expertise in education is extensive, drawing from previously held positions including President of the Council of Chief State School Officers; board member of the National Center for Education and the Economy; and member of the Council of Great City Schools.

Nik has spent his entire career in education as a teacher, academic coach, principal, and system leader in school districts and charter organizations focused on personalizing learning through a competency-based system. He is currently a Managing Partner at Transcend where he leads a team to support districts across the country trying to implement extraordinary and equitable experiences to get results for kids. He grounds in his own two kids as a guide for why this work is essential every day!

In 2021, Karen Pittman left her position as CEO of the Forum for Youth Investment to become a founding partner with Knowledge to Power Catalysts. She focuses on amplifying ideas about how, where, when, why, and with whom learning and development happens and the importance of creating equitable, learner-centered ecosystems. In addition to her work with Education Reimagined, Karen is also an AIR Scholar at the American Institutes of Research and a Governing Partner of the SoLD Alliance.

Katherine serves as the Managing Partner for Knowledge to Power Catalysts, a boutique consulting firm that increases the rate at which leaders transform knowledge into power so youth can thrive. Prior, she spent eight and a half years at Denver Public Schools serving in roles including Director of Extended Learning and Community Schools and Executive Director of Whole Child Supports. Katherine is the proud mom of three kiddos who regularly test all of her youth development theory and practices.

Jenny believes that every child deserves an education system that values them and helps them thrive. She works toward this mission as Partner for Learning Design and Sensemaking at the Center for Innovation in Education, where she facilitates learning opportunities and advances research to support national, state, and district leaders as they create inclusive education systems that are more responsive to the needs of all learners and their communities.

Dr. Howard Rossman is the Founder and President of the Civic Leadership Foundation, which promotes the principles and practices of positive youth development through well-researched, learner-centered, project-based programs. With a background in psychology, organizational leadership, and entrepreneurship, he previously served as Vice Chairman of Mesirow Financial Holdings Inc. and is the founder of Mesirow Advanced Strategies, Inc.

Felicia Cumings Smith is the President of the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL). Prior to joining NCFL, she served as senior Director of Global Delivery at the National Geographic Society, where she oversaw the domestic and global education strategy implementation and programming to transform classroom experiences. Felicia’s career in education spans more than two decades where she has served in a variety of leadership roles in PK–12, higher education, non-profit, and philanthropy.

Evan Trout is a Grantmaking Manager at Siegel Family Endowment, working with an interdisciplinary portfolio of grantees to understand and shape the impact of technology on society across the Endowment’s learning, workforce, and infrastructure interest areas. Having worked with organizations serving youth in a variety of ways in and outside of the traditional education system, he is newly adjusting to looking at education through the lens of fatherhood.

Marla Ucelli-Kashyap is Assistant to the President for Educational Issues at the American Federation of Teachers. Previously, she was Director of District Redesign and Leadership at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University and a senior program officer at the Rockefeller Foundation. Marla has also been an independent consultant in education policy, a political press secretary, and a reporter.

Mark Wilding is the Executive Director of PassageWorks, a nonprofit that supports K–12 educators and families to create transformative and inclusive school communities that empower and prepare young people to be resourceful and empathetic, to advocate for themselves, and to stand up for others. He is the co-author of The 5 Dimensions of Engaged Teaching. As core faculty, he teaches courses, facilitates conferences and dialogues, and presents keynotes and lectures.

John Wright is the Director of Strategy for the National Education Association. John spent the majority of his teaching career in the Window Rock School District on the Navajo Nation in northeast Arizona, where he also served as NEA local association president. Wright has served in various leadership roles within the Arizona education network and in multiple roles with the NEA since 2010.